But the Central Otago paddler puts in a huge amount of graft to get the tides in his favour.
Collier has paddled to the podium in Asia yet again, winning bronze in the elite men’s kayak cross at the Enduing latter-day international open in La Shui City, China, recently.
He also picked up two seventh place finishes in the elite men’s challenge race sprint and the elite men’s long distance (17km) mass start, and placed 14th in the elite men’s short-distance sprint.
It is the second consecutive year Collier has reached the podium in China after picking up silver in the challenge race previously.
Spanish paddler David Llorente, who competed at the Tokyo Olympics, won gold in the elite men’s kayak cross, while Chinese paddler Hu Zhaoshan was runner-up.
They both raced in their won "top-of-the-line kayaks" but Collier borrowed a kayak for the race, which did not prioritise speed, leading him to rely on his tactics.
"As one of the youngest competitors in the elite men’s category, I had to embrace the challenge and draw on my strengths fully," Collier said.
"The competitors were from a range of kayaking backgrounds with a large portion from downriver sprint. Whilst these athletes were fast, I had the advantage of tactics.
"It was a game of strategy and tactics that got me on to the podium."
Delighted to reach the podium in the kayak cross, Collier said the whole event was "exceptional" and had an intriguing favourite race.
"Surprisingly, my favourite event was the mass-start long-distance race.
"It’s surprising because I train for 90-second races, not 90 minutes, but it was so much fun.
"Whilst my body was sore and tired, my mind was clear and I made some smart moves which toward the end saw me lead the race of 50-odd athletes."
There is no time for rest for Collier, who has six competitions lined up over the next two months including four which are New Zealand team selection events. He aimed to qualify for the national under-23, and senior men’s teams.
He will also head across to Sydney for two races with the hope of increasing his world ranking.
As of the most recent 2024 world rankings, Collier sat 32nd in kayak cross and 127th in the canoe slalom in the senior men’s category.
